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"Break On Through," intrigues me, in that parts of it are so bad, while others are so good. I might have a bad attitude, though, because there was only one character I didn't want to choke, and he only showed up in the last minute. Let's review this episode in chunks, shall we?
There's some Wickery Bridge event -- a kick-off to the restoration or something. Damon spars (verbally) with the Beckster, then spies Sage, who reveals that suicidal Finn Mikaelson turned her and is her soulless soul mate. While chatting up Damon, Sage refers to Rebekah as an "elitist original bitch." Welcome to the Fellowship of the Falls, Sage! Damon tells her he knows Rebekah is up to something, but he can't figure out what it is. Sage reminds him of the first lesson she taught him -- exploiting feminine weakness. And while I'm all for moving past this Son of White Oak plot, this is where I want to choke Sage, just on principle.
Damon goes back to Rebekah, turns on the Evil Pixie Monster charm, and invites her back to Mossy Manse for some depravity with Sage. Sage has compelled a piano player to be dinner and entertainment. Insecure, lonely Rebekah shows up, even though she hates Damon and Sage. This is when I want to choke Rebekah. After Damon does some cheesy sexy dancing with Sage, he again turns his wiles on the thousand year-old cheerleader, who's feeding on the piano player. Damon joins her for a snack, and I'm pretty sure they drain their victim dry, but his death doesn't even reach the level of being a plot point. This is when I want to choke Damon. Anyhow, he gets Rebekah in bed and wears her out. Once she's sleeping, Sage enters the room -- and Rebekah's mind. She sucks out the Son of White Oak conversation between Becky and Klaus. When Damon joins Sage in his covet-worthy shower, she kisses him and imparts the memory of the conversation to Damon's mind.
Damon finds the mill records from 1912 (and expect me to harp on this in the weecap, unless I just can't even bear to discuss it) and learns Son of White Oak earned the Salvatores mucho dinero. Apparently, even in 1912 Virginia, government spending was a hot topic because the wood from Son of White Oak was used to build Wickery Bridge. That means the wooden underpinnings can kill an Original. Sage reminds Damon that her twu wuv Finn is an Original, but Damon strikes a bargain with Sage -- if she helps him kill Rebekkah, Finn will be spared.
After Damon gets dressed he looks for Sage, who of course is already gone. He races to Wickery Bridge. Becky and Sage have already burnt all the wood. Since Sage could enter ancient Original Beckster's mind while she was sleeping, the comparatively juvenile Damon's mind was no challenge -- even while awake. Once she realized the Originals are linked (if one dies, they all will) she betrayed the Fellowship. Super. Now the already all-but-invincible Originals have an unoriginal, but thoroughly ancient and powerful addition to their team. This is where I want to choke the script. It all turns out okay though, because Alaric had the original Wickery Bridge sign at his place, because he had it restored, and that too is made out of Son of White Oak wood.
Meanwhile, Bonnie and Caroline are still at Abby's place. Abby's transition isn't going too well. She misses being all witchily closer to the earth. Jamie is being an ungrateful ass (and yes, I want to choke him, but Caroline talks some sense into him). Abby bites Jamie after he tries to make amends. Bonnie gives her a magical migraine and then later some bagged blood. But when Bonnie is called back to Mystic Falls to help with the Alaric situation, Abby goes back to her abandoning ways and decides she's going to up and leave Jamie and worse, Bonnie -- again. This is where I want to choke Abby. Caroline tries to appeal to Abby's better angels but she fails, but in part it's because the script doesn't let her really be Caroline in all her awesomeness. I mean -- the Caroline who lives in my brain certainly would have pointed out to Abby that she managed to be a parent to someone else's kid when she wouldn't even try to be one to her own. So yeah, for a moment I want to choke our Vampire Barbie, too.
Back in Mystic Falls, Elena and Meredith are doing everything they can to help Ric. Tests show he's physically fine, so they're surer than ever that the ring and his multiple deaths are what's causing his psycho killer fugues. There's a spell that can undo the effects, which is why Bonnie returns to Mystic Falls. Before her return though, Elena leaves Mere alone with Ric to go get a personal item from his loft (for the spell). Now Mere has been tranquilizing Ric to keep him from going psychotic, but when he falls asleep, she wakes him and then makes coffee! This is when I want to choke Meredith. I don't have to, though, because Alaric freaks out and attacks her. She locks herself in the bathroom, but by the time Elena returns (with Stefan, who, yes -- I want to choke at some point) Mere has nearly bled out. Stefan subdues Alaric, heals Mere with his blood and then flees, because he's still learning control.
Off-screen, Bonnie performs the spell on Ric and takes off for Abby's, where she will find she's been abandoned again and you know, we probably won't see that play out either, so I again want to choke the script -- on Bonnie's behalf. Damon will babysit Alaric at the loft, until they are sure the spell has healed him.
All alone and done cleaning up yet another bloody mess in her house, Elena calls Jeremy, who is still in Colorado, and is the one character I don't want to choke. Big sister is checking to make sure little brother isn't having psycho killer fugues, too. How, exactly, would that work, unless he was in the middle of a fugue when she called? She doesn't say one thing to him about the ring. To give Elena her due, Stefan earlier informed her that Samantha Gilbert continued to kill even when she was living jewelry-free in the asylum, so I guess telling Jeremy to remove the ring wouldn't do much good. But still, I want to choke Elena because she should say something to him, and one of those things should be, "I need you to come home right away, because..." or "Bonnie and I are coming to see you, because you might be a psycho killer and we need to take your ring and give you herbs."
Ric's story is compelling and creepy. I wish it happened in its own episode, so I could give it the grade it deserves. It didn't, though, so here I am, wanting to choke the script one last time. This recaplet is so long, I could send it in as a weecap, but believe it or not, a lot more happens that I didn't even touch, so I'll be back with the full weecap, ASAP. In the meantime, please grade the episode up top and join us in the forum, where I promise I won't choke anyone.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!We open at the hospital, where Ric is having an MRI. Meredith tells Elena she's looking for a medical explanation for his behavior (which is putting it mildly). If it's medical she can treat it. If it's not, well, they'll look for another way to help him. When Elena asks, Mere tells her she first suspected Alaric when she learned about his ring. Her grandmother told her a story about Samantha Gilbert and her secret journal. In what I gather must be service to the book series fans, Meredith says, "We Fells are notorious busybodies." Of course, book-Meredith isn't a Fell, so um yeah. Mere tells Elena she protected Alaric because she's a doctor and she doesn't like to see people hurt by something over which they have no control. Also, he's a hottie, so there's that.
There's a mirror inside the MRI machine, so Alaric watches his own face as he waits out the test. Soon, his reflection stops mirroring his face. It's all very weird. He starts to freak. Over the intercom, Mere asks if everything is all right. Ric says it is, but I kind of get the feeling it's not him answering the question. In the recaplet, I mentioned that I wanted to choke almost every character at one point. It's still true, but I do want to reiterate that Alaric's storyline is great. Last week, it was far too convoluted for my taste. This week, the whole psycho killer plot comes together. It's the best and most watchable part of "Break On Through."
When they learn the tests have come back clear, Alaric tells Elena there's no way he killed M.E. Brian or Bill Forbes and certainly didn't stab himself up with a hunting knife, "...or I did and I've gone insane, just like your ancestor who wore that ring." Elena's going to call Bonnie and see if there's a magical antidote to the ring's effects. Speaking of the ring, Alaric gives it back to Elena. I wish she'd burn it or dissolve it with acid, or something.
Damon arrives to pick up Ric. Elena can't even look at him as she gives him a tongue lashing for letting Stefan feed on an innocent woman. Damon corrects that he made Stefan feed. Elena reminds Damon that Stefan had control when he was drinking small amounts of her blood every day. Damon mocks their past relationship "when it was all rainbows and unicorns." Elena counters that perhaps Damon isn't the best person to be teaching self-control. She's not wrong. Every time our Evil Pixie Monster gets a bee in his bonnet, someone gets hurt.
Caroline comes back to Abby's house with a cooler full of fresh blood bags. She's got all the blood types and puns about how B positive (be positive) is her personal favorite. Of course it is, Vampire Barbie. Welcome back, you pretty little ray of blood sucking sunshine. Abby's in the garden, moping. Now that she's lost her witchiness, she can no longer feel her connection to the earth. Since I've already watched this whole episode, I can no longer feel any sympathy for Abby -- even in this scene. Once Abby sulks off, Bonnie demonstrates a witch's connection to the earth, by bringing a plant back to life. Poor Bon-bon. Give Abby a mystical migraine, stake her and go back home to Mystic Falls.
Speaking of Mystic Falls, the Event o' the Week is a weird one. Construction has already begun on Wickery Bridge, so I don't know if this is a dedication or just a Yay Construction event. Meredith and Damon bring Alaric to the event. When Damon sees Rebekah talking to Mayor Carol Lockwood, he comments that he knows the Beckster is up to something, and has been snooping around. Has Ric even been home yet? And since it seems he is the Council Killer, should he really be at any town event right now? I think Alaric agrees with me, because he asks why they're there.
Damon: Ric, the world can't stop just because you're an accidental psycho killer.
Meredith: Do you have any tact whatsoever?
Cordelia: Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass.
Recapper: Wrong vampire show, Cordy. Don't you have an elsewhere to be?
When Carol sees Alaric, she runs over and asks him if he brought the restored Wickery Bridge sign. The History department promised her she would have it for today's ambiguous event. Alaric apologizes and says he's been busy. Carol's cool about it and says they'll just unveil it when the bridge is complete. Oh so great, there's going to be yet another Wickery Bridge-related event? Let me get my calendar. Ric wants to get out of there. Mere agrees. I try to leave with them, but since Damon and cameras are staying here, I'm out of luck.
Damon wants to stay, because he sees Sage (Cassidy Freeman) across the way. He walks past the platform where Carol is giving an ambiguous event speech. Sage greets her "favorite student." Damon returns that she's his sexiest teacher. When she says she's just passing through Mystic Falls, Damon calls B.S. Rebekah slithers over and refers to Sage as something the cat dragged in, and later snarks that she's common. Sage is in town looking for Finn. She heard he's finally free from Klaus's coffin collection. Rebekah, who seems entirely and inappropriately possessive of her brothers, is happy to inform Sage that Finn blew town and didn't tell anyone where he was going. Sage says he's probably looking for her. Becky counters that he probably forgot all about her. Sage doubts it. I'm bored. But then Becky saunters off and Sage says she hates that Original, elitist bitch, which does lift my mood. Welcome to Mystic Falls, Sage. Care to join the Fellowship?
Stefan's at Mossy Manse, just pouring himself a glass of blood, when Elena lets herself in. Damon told Alaric no one was home, so Elena's just popping in to pick up the book about Samantha Fell. She apologizes for intruding and asks Stefan how he's doing. He answers too quickly that he's fine and asks her if she has everything she needs, in a way that is pretty much code for: Can you leave now, please, because I really want to drink this blood, but I really don't want to do it with you here. Elena says she's all set, and to let her know if she can help him. Stefan tells her she doesn't have to bother reading the book and sums up the story. Samantha Gilbert was committed to an asylum. She tried to give herself a lobotomy with a knitting needle and bled to death on the floor of her cell. If the same thing is happening to Alaric, there's nothing that can be done for him. Sheeeesh, Stefan. SPOILERS! Elena nods toward the blood and sniffs that she's going to let Stef get back to whatever it is he was doing. Oh, you two crazy kids. You're never going to shake each other, are you?
Sage and Damon take a walk through the woods. I wish I could screen cap a good shot of Sage's hair, bring it to my stylist and say that's the color red I want. I might want the cut, too. I definitely want the color. Gorgeous. [Note: Would a gif work? -- Rachel.] Anyhow, Sage explains that Finn turned her so they could be together forever, but then Klaus daggered him and she's been waiting for him ever since. Damon can't get over that Finn is her twu wuv. I wonder if Finn is suicidal because he thinks Sage is dead or something. Sage is relieved to learn Damon and Rebekah aren't friends in any way other than engaging in hate sex.
Sage: Her and Klaus always treated me like some peasant whore.
Recapper: Her and Klaus? Oh, Sage. Heaven knows I play with words, make up words, intentionally misspell words, punctuate by gut and commit typos like they're a religious rite, but her and Klaus? You've been alive forever and have no trace of an accent. Your grammar should be better.
Anyhow, Damon tells Sage he knows Rebekah is up to something and just can't figure out what. Sage tells him to get inside her mind. Damon counters that Becky is too strong. Sage says she could do it. Damon says that since Rebekah is an Original, it's not going to happen. I say, wait a minute. Sage has been a vampire for 900 years or so. Becky has been daggered off and on. It's worth a shot. Sage takes a lower route, though. She reminds Damon how she taught him to exploit feminine weakness. Oh Sage, why did you have to make me want to choke you this soon? (I still love your hair color, though.) So yeah, if Damon finds Rebekah's weakness and exploits it, Sage will walk right into Rebekah's mind, which is undoubtedly full of a 1000 years or so of childish grudges, so I don't know how anyone expects to find anything in there. Commercial.
Back at the ambiguous event, Damon finds Rebekah and tells her she's sexy when she's bitchy. She's still miffed that Damon dismissed her after she helped him get Stefan to feed. They have a back and forth about whether Rebekah enjoys him when he's mean. He invites her back to Mossy manse for drinks with Sage.
Rebekah: No way in Hell.
Damon: You know what they say. Two's company; three's a party.
Damon eye-things at Rebekah, leans in way too close to put his glass of lemonade on the table, lets his hand brush her hip and then whispers in her ear that he hopes she enjoys her day. When Damon leaves, we can already tell insecure, needy Rebekah is wavering, because she is the eternal teenager. I already want to choke her, but it's too early for that.
Back at Abby's, Caroline finds Jamie chopping wood. He's antsy because he knows Care Bear is a vampire. Oh Jamie, you silly, pretty man. Caroline is infinitely more likable now that she's a blood sucking fiend. On the other hand, Jamie is ignoring Abby because she's a vampire, and I really wish I could ignore Abby, too. Caroline, being far too awesome to comprehend how badly Abby is going to suck by episode's end, gives Jamie a righteous lecture about how Abby needs to feel connected to the people she loves, and ends it by telling him to get over himself.
Elena calls Caroline and tells her Bonnie is still avoiding her calls. Caroline reminds Elena that Bonnie is still hurting. Elena completely understands, but something awful is happening to Ric and she's hoping Bonnie can help.
Over at Gilbert Gables, Alaric and Meredith go through her huge Alaric file. He explains his past fights, but they never do get into why Isobel swore out two restraining orders against him while they were still dating. I really think that's a missed opportunity, Show. In the forum, ElectricBoogalo reminds us that when Alaric first came to town, Sheriff Forbes did a background check on him, and his record was clean. I don't know if there's a public school in the U.S. that doesn't do employee background checks. I can't remember Liz doing the check, but I have no doubt it happened. It's just a little retcon, but it itches because since the ring is the psycho-making thing, why is there the need to give Alaric this violent record? I mean, are we to believe that buttoned-up Samantha Gilbert was violent before she got the protect-o ring? Since this is residue from last week's convolution celebration, I'll let it go and get on with the weecap. Sorry for the digression.
Alaric explains away most of his violent episodes as youthful indiscretions committed against people who earned their beatings. He says becoming a vampire hunter was the way in which he dealt with his dark side. He then confesses that he's the slayer who slayed her cousin, vampire Logan "Scum" Fell. Meredith says she uses vampires for their healing blood, but otherwise stays out of the vampire fight.
Meredith: Although, I have kind of been wondering why you never drew a stake through Damon's heart.
Alaric: Ahaha! I tried once. He killed me. Yeah. Yeah, figures. The thing that started all this ring stuff was me being angry enough to think I could take on a vampire, in the first place.
Meredith holds Ric's hand in hers. He winces in the face of her compassion. The scene is over, but I just have one thing to say: Alaric and Damon have been somewhat on the outs since the last time Damon killed Ric. To me, it's wrong that he's not angrier at Damon during this episode. Yes, the ring has possessed Alaric or whatever, but it seems to me part of the mythology behind that is because Ric has "died" so many times. Most of those times have been Damon's fault, right? You know I love our Evil Pixie Monster, but now that we're here in the story, Alaric's earlier anger toward Damon seems premature.
Okay, it's nighttime at Mossy Manse. Damon finds Stefan in the basement, bingeing on blood bags. He again preaches control. Stefan asks what Damon said to Elena that morning. Damon plays psychologist and decides Stefan is stress-eating to sublimate his feelings. He says he and Elena deserve each other. Stefan repeats his question. Damon gives it to him straight.
Damon: I told her what she already knows. You're a vampire, you drink human blood and to get over it -- which is the same thing I'm telling you. Own it. Live it. Love it. Stop being ashamed of who you are.
Stefan: Do me a favor, Damon? time you talk to Elena, keep me out of it.
Damon: Gladly. Now, unless you're interested in a Sage-Rebekah sex sandwich, I suggest you make yourself scarce.
Bonnie is cooking in Abby's kitchen when Jamie enters the house. Bonnie teases him about not knowing who he is (because he's been avoiding Abby). Jamie counters that he's the guy out back, who is in no way related to her. Oh a little flirting for Bonnie. I would get excited about that, but come on, how long 'til he's killed or otherwise written off. Bonnie never gets to be anything but the deus ex machina. Jamie admits that Caroline's lecture got to him, and that Abby's always been there for him. Abby comes in as he's setting to build a fire. She's so happy to see him. He apologizes for his earlier attitude. They hug, but then she gets a whiff of his delicious smelling neck. She vamps out and sinks her fangs into his flesh. Bonnie has to give her a mystical migraine to get her off Jamie. Shocked to her senses, Abby realizes what she's done. Don't even freak, Abby. You're going to suck way harder than that by the end of the hour.
I'm at 3000 words and only 20 minutes into the episode, so I'm going to collapse some of this and plagiarize my recaplet, for the Sage/Damon/Rebekah sexcapades. We're back at Mossy Manse. Sage has compelled a piano player to be dinner and entertainment. Insecure, lonely Rebekah shows up, even though she hates Damon and Sage. This is when I want to choke Rebekah. After Damon does some cheesy sexy dancing with Sage, he again turns his wiles on the thousand year-old cheerleader, who's feeding on the piano player. Damon joins her for a snack, and I'm pretty sure they drain their victim dry, but his death doesn't even reach the level of being a plot point. This is when I want to choke Damon. Anyhow, he gets Rebekah in bed and wears her out. Once she's sleeping, Sage enters the room -- and Rebekah's mind. She sucks out the Son of White Oak conversation between Becky and Klaus. When Damon joins Sage in his covet-worthy shower, she kisses him and imparts the memory of the conversation to Damon's mind.
Sidebar: I'm usually all in favor of Dancing Damon and nearly nekkid Damon, but it makes me cringe, this week. I'd blame the cheesiness of it, but heck, I cover Ringer, so really, my cheese-tolerance has probably tripled during this television season. I hope you all enjoyed it, but it made me feel pandered to.
Bonnie finds Abby outside, and brings her a blood bag to help stave off the cravings. She explains that episodes like the one Abby just had are a normal occurrence during transition. Abby can't believe she hurt Jamie. She wants to leave before she hurts Jamie again -- or Bonnie. Bonnie says the only way Abby can hurt her is to leave. She begs her "mother" not to give up -- again, and promises they can make it work. Caroline comes out and reports that she healed Jamie with her blood. Now she needs a favor.
At Gilbert Gables, Alaric gives Elena a list of all his bank accounts, passwords, family contact information, etc., in case something happens to him. Elena tells him not to think like that, but he wants to makes sure she and Jeremy will be okay. Elena assures him they're all going to be fine.
Caroline calls Elena and says that Abby thinks Bonnie can reverse the protect-o ring's damage. The same sort of thing happens with witches who become obsessed with dark magic. Elena sighs with relief. Bonnie takes the phone and in the first time she's talked to Elena since Damon vamped Abby, she says she needs a personal effect of Alaric's -- something he wore before he started wearing the protect-o ring. Elena takes the opportunity to apologize to Bonnie for everything and to thank her for doing the spell, but Bonnie's not ready to engage in that conversation, so she just tells Elena to be ready to do the spell when Bonnie gets back to town. After the call, Elena tells Alaric what they need. He proposes his wedding ring, which is at the loft. Elena's a bit taken aback. I guess that's because Ric was married to her birth mother, which is a nice touch. Alaric's going to get the wedding ring from his loft, but Mere says it's best if he stays back at Gilbert Gables with her.
Alaric: Oh, you and your tranquilizers. [The ring is] in a dresser by the kitchen. It's in an aspirin bottle -- probably covered in cobwebs.
Damon and Rebekah are in bed. She's sleeping, but I already told you about this scene, above, so I get to fast-forward, now. Yay, me!
Still wet, and wearing just a towel, Damon looks at the Salvatore business archives, while Sage distracts Rebekah. Once she's gone, he goes right to the archives from 1912. There are years' worth of archives here. Why choose 1912 -- is it just on a hunch, because Sage is in town? It's too easy. I mean granted, I don't want to watch Damon read through decades of ledgers and whatnot, but when this Son Of White Oak "plot" was introduced, Rebekah told Klaus that there was a cave painting that dates back to 300 years after the Mikaelsons fled back to the Old World, so Son Of White Oak would have existed more than 700 years ago, right? Now, oak trees can last for centuries, I don't have a big problem with that. I'm just thinking the Salvatores must have been harvesting trees and milling since somewhere around the 1860s until whenever they stopped, but Damon walks right to the 1912 records. HAVE I MENTIONED I HATE THIS DAMNED TREE PLOT?
Ahem. Okay, I'm going to collapse this storyline and plagiarize somewhat again, so I don't WRITE THE REST OF THE WEECAP IN ALL CAPS LIKE THIS HERE. OKAY? OKAY! In the 1912 records, Damon sees that Son of White Oak brought the Salvatores big bucks, because it was used to build Wickery Bridge. That means the wooden underpinnings can kill an Original. Sage reminds Damon that her twu wuv Finn is an Original, but Damon strikes a bargain with Sage -- if she helps him kill Rebekkah, Finn will be spared.
After Damon gets dressed, he looks for Sage, who of course is already gone. He races to Wickery Bridge. Becky and Sage have already burnt all the wood. Since Sage could enter ancient Original Beckster's mind while she was sleeping, the comparatively juvenile Damon's mind was no challenge -- even while awake. Once she realized the Originals are linked (if one dies, they all will) she betrayed the Fellowship. Super. Now the already all-but-invincible Originals have an unoriginal, but thoroughly ancient and powerful addition to their team. This is where I want to choke the script. I know most of you prefer a scene by scene recap. Time makes that difficult to do, in a weecap. This Son of White Oak plot makes it IMPOSSIBLE TO DO WITHOUT SCREAMING, REGARDLESS OF MY DEADLINE. THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME, GENTLE READERS. OH LOOK, HERE'S A SCENE WITH STEFAN AND ELENA. LET'S GET TO THAT!
When Elena arrives at Alaric's loft, Stefan is waiting for her. Alaric told him she'd be there. Elena tells him she knows he doesn't want to be around her. Stefan doesn't want to hurt her, but he can't be who she wants him to be right now, because he's not in control. He's there, because he's done more digging into the Gilbert family insanity. Samantha killed two people while she was institutionalized. She was on suicide watch, so she wouldn't have been wearing her ring at the time.
Elena: Wait, so you're saying the violent behavior can still happen, even if the person isn't wearing the ring?
Recapper: I've got a bigger "Wait, so..." In the recaplet, I mentioned that I wanted to choke Stefan at some point, but I didn't mention when. This is the when. I'm trying my best not to go all CAPS again, but seriously, show? Stefan leaves tiny little Mere home with Alaric, alone, to find Elena at the apartment and tell her something he could have told her over the phone? Shouldn't he maybe be babysitting Alaric instead, in case he has a ringless psycho killer fugue? Grr.
Alaric, who has been tranquilized by Mere, is snoozing on the couch. This is what tranquilizers are supposed to do, yes? Mere wakes him up to mention that neither of them have slept for two days, and to make him coffee. Thunk thunk thunk. It's clear Alaric is in a fugue. While Mere is in the kitchen, he goes to her medical bag and drains the tranquilizer syringes. Commercial.
We return to Mossy Manse, but it's a Sage and Damon scene I've already covered, so I get to fast-forward again.
Back at the loft, Stefan implies Elena's quest to save Alaric is futile. Elena asks if he's really talking about Alaric, or if he's talking about himself, because she's not giving up on either of them. There's one drawer Elena can't open. Stefan finally forces it open for her. It's full of photos of and articles about Alaric's victims. I wonder if our Ripper of Monterey feels inadequate, since he only wrote his victims' names inside a closet.
Elena comes across a big manila envelope labeled "Jeremy Gilbert." Inside is some kind of psycho killer manifesto Alaric must have written. Clipped to the front is a note that reads: "Jeremy, if anything happens to me, carry on my work. You have the other ring. Let the ring make you strong. The Council must be cleansed before the work can begin." Yikes.
Stefan finds a list of Council members. Here are the ones I can see: Meredith Fell, Daniel Jones (highlighted in orange); Linda Jones; Stanford Springfield; Carol Lockwood; Barbara Johnson; James Joseph Johnson, ESQ; [Illegible] Anderson; [another illegible name, highlighted in orange]; Thomas Michale Skinner; Donna Skinner; James Michael Harris (highlighted in orange); Nancy [Illegible].
Stefan: It's a Founders Council roster. It looks like some sort of hit list.
Elena: No, Alaric didn't write this.
Stefan: Who else would have written it, Elena?
Elena crumples up one of the papers, then rifles through the drawer with purpose, until she finds the aspirin bottle. The ring is inside. She tells Stefan she has to get back.
Mere is trying to familiarize herself with the kitchen at Gilbert Gables, when Ric comes back in the room. She chitchats about coffee and sandwiches, but Alaric changes the subject. He wants to know if she ever feels remorse. When Mere is all, "Huh?" Ric grabs a knife off the counter and walks slowly toward her, as he points out how the Council is supposed to protect the town from vampires, but they all look the other way and ignore their responsibilities. He mentions her medical use of vampire blood and again asks her if she ever feels remorse and says she should. Eyes wide, brow furrowed in horror, Mere can only stare at Ric. He lunges at her and slashes her in the stomach. She grabs a mug full of coffee and pours it on his arm. As he yells, the mug falls to the floor and shatters, and Mere runs toward her medical bag. When she sees the empty syringes, she starts upstairs. Ric grabs her legs. She falls, but manages to kick herself free and the knife falls to the first floor. Mere gets in the bathroom, but there are three doors to this fricking bathroom. She locks one, then another, but Alaric gets ahold of the third one. She grabs a pair of scissors and stabs him in the hand. He releases his grasp on the door. Mere slams it shut and locks it. We get a close up of her gut wound. It looks bad. Commercial.
Sidebar: I know I have been tough on this episode, but this is a wonderfully creepy scene. Kudos to both actors, the director, the writers and everyone. I'd already accepted (in my head) that Ric is the psycho killer, but this makes me believe it in my heart. Bravo, Show.
The rest of the Rebekah/Damon/Sage story detailed earlier plays out on Wickery Bridge. Fast-forwarding for the win! I will add, without getting ranty, that Damon threatens to kill Sage. She reminds him that she's 900 years old, so there's little chance of that. Damon then takes pleasure in telling her that Finn was more than happy to be Mama Original's sacrificial lamb. He was suicidal and he certainly doesn't love her. Then, Damon makes himself a true target with his old mentor, by telling her than when he does find a way to kill the Originals, he will start with Finn. See, Damon. This is what Elena means about self-control.
Elena and Stefan arrive at Mossy Manse. Stefan can tell something's up at the house. Did you all watch Moonlight, because all I can think of is those vampires "smelling" the past, and it sends me into fits of giggles, during what should be an intense scene. I'm sure Stefan just probably smells the fresh blood. He gestures for Elena to remain at the front door, then heads out to the kitchen where he sees the shattered mug and the blood.
Elena is just closing the door when Alaric heads down the stairs. He has wrapped a towel around his hand. He lies that Mere got called to the hospital for a last minute surgery and also lies that he cut his hand when he broke a coffee cup. When Alaric asks if Stefan caught up with her, Elena is smart enough to lie and say no. She says she didn't find the ring, either. Alaric says he'll have to go get it. His eyes then wander to the bloody knife, which landed right by the front door. Elena follows his gaze and sees it too. Alaric starts to move toward her, but Stefan comes up from behind, gets Alaric in a headlock and squeezes until he knocks him out.
Panting from the exertion, Stefan gets a good whiff of the even more recent past. He tells Elena he needs her to come upstairs with him, because he's going to need her help. He busts open the bathroom door. Meredith is unconscious and bleeding out. Stefan can't help but vamp. Elena looks at him, her eyes full of fear. Stefan opens his wrist and places it to Meredith's mouth. She suckles, weakly. When Elena tells her she's going to be okay, Stefan nods as if he too might be okay, one day. Still, he flees the scene like he's been shot out of a gun. That's part of control, though -- knowing when you just have to get gone. Commercial.
Damon's sitting at Alaric's bedside when he awakes. Alaric asks what he's doing there. Damon cracks that he's just making sure "the witch" didn't turn him into a toad or a block of salt. He then explains about the spell. Alaric flexes his hand as if it's sore but there no visible wound, so I don't know if Damon gave him some blood to heal that, or what. I hope there's no interaction between vampire blood and the psycho killer suppression spell. Ric asks if something happened. Damon tells him about his alter-ego's episode, and says they're going to give him house arrest "light" at the loft until they're sure the spell is working. Alaric sits up and asks where Meredith is. When Damon only answers that she will be fine, Alaric seems to understand he must have hurt her.
Elena's cleaning up another bloody mess in her kitchen when Bonnie finds her. She first asks if Elena is okay, and then tells her Abby's theory that all the dying and resurrecting might have chipped away at Alaric's psyche, making it easier for the darkness to take hold. She gives Elena herbs that bind the spell and tells her Alaric has to take them twice a day. Bonnie will get them some more.
With the Alaric talk all over, Bonnie smiles sweetly as she tells Elena that she and Abby are going to work on the garden. Oh, Bon-bon. Elena asks how Abby is doing. Bonnie admits the transition has been rough, but she thinks Abby will be fine, eventually. Bonnie's going to go stay with her for a while. She hopes it will give them a chance to work things through.
A tearful Elena apologizes all over the place that this happened. She would do anything differently, if only she could. Bonnie throws her arms around her dear friend and says, "I know." Elena wants Bonnie to forgive her. Bonnie says of course she does.
Caroline and Jamie are working in Abby's garden. She gives him the CliffsNotes version of her experience with her own father's vamping. When Care Bear heads in the house, she finds Abby writing a note to Bonnie and Jamie. She just has to leave. She doesn't know how to "do this."
Caroline: Do what? Be a vampire or a parent? I can help you be a vampire. I can teach you self-control, but being a parent, that's all you. Bonnie grew up without a mom, because you ran away once. But now you have an eternity to make up for it, and you're just going to throw that away?
Abby the Abandoner: She's better off without me.
Caroline: No, she's not. No one is better off without their parents. She wants to make this work. Please. Just stay.
Abby looks sheepishly at Caroline, then rises, grabs her bag and asks Caroline to tell "them" that she's sorry. Oh you're sorry, all right, Abby. You are a completely sorry waste of flesh and vampire blood. I want Caroline to say more. I want her to point out that obviously Abby does know how to do the parent thing a little, because Jamie seems nice enough, and she obviously is somewhat willing to do the parent thing because she took in Jamie in the first place. I want her to drive home the point that there is no way Bonnie can take this as anything other than a second, most-personal rejection. Plus, if Abby is so afraid she's going to hurt Jamie or Bonnie, why isn't she also afraid that without Caroline's help, she's not going to hurt any random human? What I'm really saying, I guess, is I want Abby to die in a fire, and I want that fire to be lit with the power of Bonnie's mind.
All alone at Gilbert Gables, Elena finally has the kitchen clean. We cut to her bedroom. She's sitting on her window seat, making a phone call. It's Jeremy. Yay! Come back, Germ. Come back. He's doing well in school, got a dog and friends -- everything Elena wants for him -- a normal life. She hesitates as she asks if he's talked to Alaric. Germ says he hasn't and asks if everything is okay. Elena lies that it is. Her eyes well with tears as she says she just wanted to hear his voice. Germ is on his way out with his buddies, so he asks if he can call her back. Elena says sure and encourages him to go out and have fun. She says, "I just miss you." Jeremy says he misses her too, but I bet he doesn't, because he was compelled to not even bother thinking about Mystic Falls. I keep waiting for the camera to zoom out and reveal Jeremy's got a weapon bag, or body parts or something in his room, but our last shot in this scene is on poor Elena's face. Still, I kind of want to choke her for not being straight with Jeremy about the ring.
Damon returns to Mossy Manse where he finds Stefan drinking (alcohol, not blood). Wait, who is babysitting Alaric? Who is his house-arrest jailer? Ugh, Show! Damon teases Stefan about hitting the hootch so early in the day. Stefan says he's just having a little toast to self-control. Damon's happy if Stefan is happy. He's also happy, because of a little thing he took from Alaric's place. He unwraps it. It's the Wickery Bridge sign, made of Son of White Oak.
Stefan: They think all the wood burned.
Damon: I sold my rage. Whew. You should have seen me.
Stefan: We have a weapon.
Damon: Game's back on, Brother. Let's go kill some Originals.
I'm not sorry to put this story to bed, but again, I think the Alaric story was compelling. I'll be back with coverage of "The Murder Of One." In the meantime, please grade the episode up top and join us in the forum, where I promise I won't choke anyone.
All alone at Gilbert Gables, Elena finally has the kitchen clean. We cut to her bedroom. She's sitting on her window seat, making a phone call. It's Jeremy. Yay! Come back, Germ. Come back. He's doing well in school, got a dog and friends -- everything Elena wants for him -- a normal life. She hesitates as she asks if he's talked to Alaric. Germ says he hasn't and asks if everything is okay. Elena lies that it is. Her eyes well with tears as she says she just wanted to hear his voice. Germ is on his way out with his buddies, so he asks if he can call her back. Elena says sure and encourages him to go out and have fun. She says, "I just miss you." Jeremy says he misses her too, but I bet he doesn't, because he was compelled to not even bother thinking about Mystic Falls. I keep waiting for the camera to zoom out and reveal Jeremy's got a weapon bag, or body parts or something in his room, but our last shot in this scene is on poor Elena's face. Still, I kind of want to choke her for not being straight with Jeremy about the ring.
Damon returns to Mossy Manse where he finds Stefan drinking (alcohol, not blood). Wait, who is babysitting Alaric? Who is his house-arrest jailer? Ugh, Show! Damon teases Stefan about hitting the hootch so early in the day. Stefan says he's just having a little toast to self-control. Damon's happy if Stefan is happy. He's also happy, because of a little thing he took from Alaric's place. He unwraps it. It's the Wickery Bridge sign, made of Son of White Oak.
Stefan: They think all the wood burned.
Damon: I sold my rage. Whew. You should have seen me.
Stefan: We have a weapon.
Damon: Game's back on, Brother. Let's go kill some Originals.
I'm not sorry to put this story to bed, but again, I think the Alaric story was compelling. I'll be back with coverage of "The Murder Of One." In the meantime, please grade the episode up top and join us in the forum, where I promise I won't choke anyone.